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Gillingham Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent, England. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, the "Gills" play their home matches at Priestfield Stadium. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, in the 2022–23 season.
Stephen Martin Lomas is a Northern Irish football manager and former professional footballer.
Michael Flanagan is an English former professional footballer and manager.
Andrew Hessenthaler is an English football manager and former player who is head of recruitment at EFL League Two club Gillingham.
Stephen Lovell is a Welsh former professional footballer and manager. He is currently manager of Herne Bay.
Ernest Morgan was an English professional football player and manager. He spent the bulk of his career with Gillingham, where he set a record for the highest number of goals scored in a single season which still stands.
During the 1999–2000 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 68th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 50th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team started the season in poor form, failing to win any of the first five league games, but then went on a much-improved run and began challenging for promotion to the Football League First Division. Robert Taylor scored 18 goals in 19 games by November, after which he was signed by Manchester City for £1.5 million, a new record fee for Gillingham. On the last day of the regular season, the team had a chance to gain automatic promotion, but lost and instead had to enter the play-offs. After defeating Stoke City in the semi-finals, Gillingham beat Wigan Athletic in the final to gain promotion to the second tier of the English football league system for the first time in the club's history.
During the 2000–01 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League First Division, the second tier of the English football league system. It was the 69th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 51st since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the preceding season, Gillingham had beaten Wigan Athletic in the Second Division play-off final to gain promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in the club's history. Having led the team to promotion, manager Peter Taylor left the club after a single season to become manager of FA Premier League club Leicester City and was replaced by veteran player Andy Hessenthaler. In his first season as manager, he led Gillingham to a mid-table finish in the First Division.
Bradley Paul Dack is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Having last played for Blackburn Rovers, he is currently a free agent.
During the 1996–97 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 65th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 47th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, the team had gained promotion from the Third Division. Prior to the new season, Gillingham signed seven new players, paying a new club record transfer fee for Watford's Andy Hessenthaler. The team's form was poor in the first half of the season and at the end of 1996, Gillingham were in 21st position in the 24-team league table, putting them in danger of relegation back to the fourth tier. The club signed Ade Akinbiyi from Norwich City for another record fee in early January. In the second half of the season the team's performances improved and they finished the season in 11th position in the table.
During the 1987–88 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division. It was the 56th season in which the club competed in the Football League, and the 38th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, Gillingham had qualified for the final of the play-offs for promotion to the Football League Second Division but had been defeated. The team began the new season strongly, including winning matches 8–1 and 10–0 on consecutive Saturdays, but their performances quickly declined and by December the team had slipped down the league table. After a heavy loss to Aldershot in the last game of 1987, manager Keith Peacock was dismissed from his job and replaced by his former assistant Paul Taylor, a decision which was extremely unpopular with the club's supporters. Although the team's performances improved in the second half of the season, briefly bringing them close to a potential play-off place, their form declined once again and they finished the season 13th in the 24-team division, the same position as when Peacock lost his job.
During the 1985–86 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 54th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 36th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. After an unbeaten run of seven games, Gillingham were fourth in the league table in late September, just outside the top three places which would result in promotion to the Second Division. After slipping to ninth in October, the team climbed to third, but at the close of 1985 had fallen again to eighth. Although Gillingham continued to challenge for promotion in the second half of the season and were in second place at the end of January, their form continued to fluctuate. As the end of the season approached, the team were still in with a chance of finishing in a promotion position, however three defeats in the last six games meant that they ultimately fell short, finishing in fifth place.
During the 1998–99 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 67th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 49th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The club signed two new forwards, each for a new club record transfer fee, but started the season in poor form, winning only one of the first eight league games. The team then went on a much-improved run, being undefeated for 17 league games, and began challenging for promotion to the Football League First Division. Gillingham finished the regular season in fourth place in the Second Division, qualifying for the play-offs for promotion to the First Division. After defeating Preston North End in the semi-finals, they played Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in the final. Gillingham were 2–0 up with less than ten minutes remaining but conceded two late goals, and Manchester City won the subsequent penalty shoot-out to gain promotion.
During the 1992–93 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 61st season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 43rd since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. By October, the team were close to the bottom of the Third Division and Damien Richardson was dismissed from his job as the club's manager. Glenn Roeder was appointed as his replacement in a player-manager capacity. The team's performances remained poor and, with two games remaining, Gillingham still faced the possibility of finishing bottom of the league table and being relegated out of the Football League. Victory over Halifax Town in the penultimate match of the season, however, ensured that Gillingham would compete in the Third Division again in the following season. Roeder resigned as manager following the conclusion of the season after less than nine months in charge.
During the 1991–92 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 60th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 42nd since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team began the season with a 4–0 victory over Scunthorpe United but their form was inconsistent; not until February did they manage to win two consecutive league games. After a season spent largely in the middle of the league table, Gillingham finished 11th out of 22 teams in the Fourth Division.
During the 1990–91 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 59th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 41st since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Early in the season, Ron Hillyard, the club's long-serving goalkeeper, ended his playing career with a club record number of appearances. Gillingham's form was inconsistent in the first half of the season; after falling to 17th in the league table, the team began a lengthy unbeaten run and were 10th at the end of 1990. Around the end of March, Peter Beadle and David Crown, two of the team's regular starting forwards, were injured and both missed most of the remainder of the season. The team went 10 consecutive games without winning between the last game of March and the first of May and finished the season 15th in the Fourth Division.
During the 1989–90 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Fourth Division, the fourth tier of the English football league system. It was the 58th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League and the 40th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. In the previous season, the team had been relegated from the Third Division, after which a number of players left the club, resulting in several teenagers playing in the opening games of the new season. Gillingham began their league campaign in poor form but a run of five consecutive wins in October and November took them into the top six. In December, the team lost to Maidstone United in the first Football League match between two Kent-based teams. Gillingham remained in contention for promotion until early March, but then lost six consecutive games; the team finished the season 14th in the Fourth Division.
During the 1997–98 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 66th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 48th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. The team started the season strongly and by the end of October were challenging for promotion, but then went on a lengthy run of games without a win which saw them slip into the bottom third of the league table in December. Results improved in the second half of the season, and Gillingham were sixth in the table with one game remaining, which would be sufficient for a place in the promotion play-offs. Results on the final day of the regular season meant that they finished in a four-way tie for the final two play-off places and missed out as they had scored the fewest goals of the four teams involved; a goalbound shot from Nicky Southall in the final seconds of the last game of the season which could have given Gillingham a win and a play-off place instead struck the goalpost and rebounded away.
During the 1988–89 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the 57th season in which Gillingham competed in the Football League, and the 39th since the club was voted back into the league in 1950. Gillingham began the season well, with two wins in the first three Third Division games, but then lost ten consecutive league games to slip close to the bottom of the league table. In late October, after the eighth of these defeats, Paul Taylor was dismissed as the club's manager and replaced by Keith Burkinshaw. The new manager could not significantly improve the team's performances, resigning in April with Gillingham bottom of the table. Former Gillingham player Damien Richardson ended the season as the club's manager. Gillingham finished the season 23rd out of 24 teams in the division and were relegated to the Fourth Division.
During the 1950–51 English football season, Gillingham F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division South, the third tier of the English football league system. It was the first season of Gillingham's second spell in the Football League; prior to this season the club was elected back into the competition having lost its place in 1938. Gillingham's results in the first half of the season were poor, including a 9–2 defeat to Nottingham Forest, the highest number of goals the team had conceded for more than 20 years; at the end of 1950 they were second bottom of the Third Division South league table. In January and early February Gillingham climbed to 19th in the 24-team division after winning five times in six games, including a 9–4 victory over Exeter City, a new record for the club's highest Football League score which would stand for more than 30 years. After this they won only once in ten matches; the team finished the season 22nd in the division.
References
- General
- Roger Triggs (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
- Derek Hales at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
- Specific
- ↑ Fawbert, Dave (26 April 2019). "The world's most miserable football player profile is absolutely brilliant". Shortlist. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ↑ Rookwood, Dan (26 October 2001). "It's a knock-out". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ↑ the-football-league-paper 17 May 2015, issue No.247